Matthew 18:15

“"If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother.”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭18:15‬ ‭ESV‬‬


Sometimes the hardest thing to do in life is to confront someone about a problem you have with them. Nobody likes to admit that they are wrong. It's hard enough to go up to somebody when you are in the wrong and sinned against your brother. Our pride tells us that we don't have to apologize and to try to just push it aside. But it's when we push that apology off that we allow the problem to become worse. Because then we stay ashamed of what we've done and every time we see the person we sinned against we feel that guilt from what we've done to them and the longer we wait to apologize the further we feel distanced from that person. Now for the more difficult dilemma, when you have to go tell someone that what they did was wrong or that it at least offended you. Now personally speaking I do have pretty thick skin, so it can be pretty hard to get under my skin. But I feel at times that kind of hinders me, because when I do feel like someone has sinned against me, I find it difficult to go up to that person and let them know that what they did was wrong or that it at least offended me. Especially when the lies start rolling in. How prideful will I look by going up to this person that has sinned against me? I mean it wasn't that big of a deal right? I mean yeah it might've hurt me a little bit but I'm a tough kid, it won't bother me. They probably knew what they did was wrong. And if they didn't then they will just learn that lesson eventually anyway. The enemy will always seek to keep me from restoring relationships and instilling peace, so I just have to remind myself that whenever I'm thinking thoughts that are not from a place of restoration that they are of the enemy and not of the Spirit. Because if I truly love the person that offended me, I would want them to know that what they are doing is wrong so that they wouldn't stay in that sin, and if they need help with getting past that sin, I should be there for them to assist in them in overcoming that darkness. And if they truly love me, they will not just hear me out but listen to what I have to say, and will hopefully be affected by what knowledge I am bringing to them. And if they decide to not to admit that what they did was wrong, at least I will be able to tell God one day that I did what I could and went to that person seeking restoration. For my application I am am going to confront someone about a weakness of mine and do so in a way that seeks restoration.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

1 Corinthians 9:22

“To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some.” ‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭9:22‬ ‭ESV‬‬ Throughout this section of scripture Paul talks about how he always adapts his lifestyle to fit the people group in which he is attempting to preach to. Not everyone you preach the gospel to is going to have the same opinion about certain scriptural issues, and this is even more profound of a truth when you are dealing with groups of people and not just individuals. So when you are bringing the gospel to someone or a group of people that haven't experienced the truth of the gospel before, they are going to start to understand and experience it in a way that was completely different than the way that you experienced it. They may not see the importance of certain Christian values that you hold in high esteem and they might see Christian values that you hold at a low esteem with a much greater importance. Just look at t
Read more

Luke 17:7-10

“Will any one of you who has a servant plowing or keeping sheep say to him when he has come in from the field, 'Come at once and recline at table'? Will he not rather say to him, 'Prepare supper for me, and dress properly, and serve me while I eat and drink, and afterward you will eat and drink'? Does he thank the servant because he did what was commanded? So you also, when you have done all that you were commanded, say, 'We are unworthy servants; we have only done what was our duty.’”‭ Luke‬ ‭17:7-10‬ ‭ESV‬‬ So often in life we look for rewards for the ways in which we serve. We look to get paid, to be commended, we tend to just want something. We often don't want to perform a task if there aren't any benefits for us at the end of it all. We feel that if we are serving we deserve something for our service. But that isn't true service. True service is serving even when there is no self-gain in what you are doing. It is where you are laying your wants
Read more

Deuteronomy 7:9

““Therefore know that the LORD your God, He is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and mercy for a thousand generations with those who love Him and keep His commandments;” ‭‭Deuteronomy‬ ‭7:9‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ How great is our God? The God “who delivered us from so great a death, and does deliver us; in whom we trust that He will still deliver us,” II Corinthians‬ ‭1:10‬ ‭NKJV‬‬. What surety and comfort we can have in this verse. So often we think that God doesn't want to bless us, provide for us, teach us, or even come through on the promises that He’s given us. We see ourselves as the Old Testament Israelites, constantly failing to live up to the Lord’s standards, never making Him proud. But then comes God, ““He has not observed iniquity in Jacob, Nor has He seen wickedness in Israel. The LORD his God is with him, And the shout of a King is among them.” ‭Numbers‬ ‭23:21‬ ‭NKJV‬‬. Even in our failings, as long as we always come to Him in repentance, He sees us as holy and righteou
Read more